nächstenvsNähtenWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: nächsten is a adjective, Nähten is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“nächsten” is an adjective and “Nähten” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#436
“nächsten” frequency rank
#34,834
“Nähten” frequency rank
35270
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nächsten Nähten
Definition Superlativ Prädikativ des Adjektivs nah Dativ Plural des Substantivs Naht

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nächsten and Nähten apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
nächsten
6 ch
Nähten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: nächsten is [ˈnɛːçstən] while Nähten is [ˈnɛːtn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35270, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

nächsten is recorded at frequency rank #436, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈnɛːçstən]. Nähten is at rank #34,834, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈnɛːtn̩].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 35270, this pair ranks #1,643,907 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of nächsten vs Nähten

Shared letters: ehntä. Private to "nächsten": cs. Private to "Nähten": -.

"nächsten" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCCVC  ·  "Nähten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Frequency comparison

nächsten#436
Nähten#34,834

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nächsten" and "Nähten" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "nächsten" is an adjective and "Nähten" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "nächsten" or "Nähten"?
"nächsten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #436 in our German list, against #34,834 for "Nähten". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering nächsten vs Nähten

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “nächsten”; for a noun, it's “Nähten”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “nächsten” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list